


All The Same

by ZanderFrae



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Closeted Character, F/F, F/M, Long-Distance Relationship, Long-Term Relationship(s), Multi, OT3, Passive-aggression, Past Relationship(s), Pining, Polyamory, Possibly not happy ending, Pre-OT3, Slow Burn, Triple Treble - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-04-03 03:17:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4084642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZanderFrae/pseuds/ZanderFrae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beca doesn't stay for a second year, but continues helping with arrangements from afar. She has quite a few relationships before coming back home. Spans at least 4 years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One Foot

**Author's Note:**

> TLDR: This story is personal and difficult to write sometimes and I'm a busy person, but I hope it's worth it.  
> I write a lot of original fiction where I actually own the intellectual property. I read a lot of fan fiction. My literary worlds are colliding because I've been trying to heal from a particularly traumatic relationship since February of 2013. While binge reading fanfiction surrounding my two glorious viewings of Pitch Perfect 2, I realized that not only am I the transman version of Beca Mitchell, one of my exes is very similar to Chloe. Poor Aubrey is just a convenient stand-in for the other. My medium for expression was found.  
> Be prepared for a slow burn, lots of pining/angst, and some frustration for both you and the characters involved. In real life, it took us almost a full four years to develop from meeting one another to actually giving things a go... and then another four years to get to today.  
> I've got nine parts outlined... and I'm thinking we'll have 5-10 chapters per part.  
> I think I can reasonably say at this point that the story will have an eventually happy turn, but there's a lot of dark for Beca and Chloe headed your way.  
> This fic is going to see a lot of Beca relationships. Some canon. Some original. Some fanon.  
> It's also going to see Chloe and Aubrey together, apart, together... and Chloe in an original relationship or two.  
> I'm completely rewriting the four chapters I'd already posted and trying to get myself organized so I can actually get a steady flow of story going on this. Thanks for reading.

Beca Mitchell, future DJ extraordinaire, stared at her boarding pass. Flight 145 to Atlanta, Georgia.  _Not LA, of course._ Position C45 and the connecting flight didn't leave for another two hours. She had a long wait ahead of her. "Might as well do something useful," she muttered, pulling a laptop out of her bag and slipping on some headphones. An alarm set for 10 minutes before her flight was due to begin boarding, the petite brunette slipped into the acute focus mixing brought her.

*******

She knew her dad was crazy; she knew he might have made  **her** crazy; but she loved him. Aubrey Posen could not help wanting to make him happy. The water whisked away all evidence of her latest stress as his words tormented her mind, " _Get out of Kuwait."_  Not that she really had any clue what it meant beyond the immutable fact that she was completely the opposite of perfect at last year's ICCAs. "We won't just place this year, Dad. I swear: we will win." Her stomach emptied again.

*******

Red curls twirled and tangled with headphone cords as Chloe Beale danced and sang along to  _Party in the USA_ . It was almost time to go back to school. New textbooks sat next to her already immaculately packed luggage. The bags had been packed for two weeks already. She was doing laundry every three days to make up for it. She was only a couple of hours away from hopping in the car and going back. She was going to be there for all of the orientation events--despite being a senior and not working any of the events--because she wanted an early start recruiting. This year was going to be great if she had anything to say.

*******

Tired and sore from airport and plane seats, Beca quickly grabbed her luggage and found the cabbie with her name. She mostly ignored the gorgeous landscape as she passed by, tapping her feet and fingers in perfect rhythm. The sooner she was there, the sooner she could cruise her way through the year and prove college just wasn't her thing. Maybe then her parents would let her do the smart thing. The  **productive** thing. When they pulled into the drop off area, Beca barely repressed a sigh of relief. Hoisting a messenger bag that held all of her precious things, she allowed the rest of her things to be taken ahead of her. An overly perky dingbat forced its way into her vision.  _Can I help you?_

"What hall are you in?"

"Uh... Baker, I think."

"Okay. So what you're gonna do--" Beca Mitchell really did not care. The campus wasn't a complete stranger to her, and she was resourceful besides. A car pulled up temporarily beside them, revealing an air guitar playing lunatic who seemed intent on serenading her. "... rape whistle. Don't blow it unless it's actually happening."

Beca's attention was forced back as the car pulled away and her mind registered the last sentence and a half.  _Seriously?_ The whistle presented to her on a lanyard didn't look special. She placed it in her teeth with a smirk and subtle raise of an eyebrow.

*******

Chloe was already in her apartment when the front door slammed. "Aubrey?" No answer. No movement. "Aubrey, sweetie. Take deep breaths." She jumped to her feet and ran to the front door. Her best friend in the world was ashen and possibly a little green. "It's okay. We're here together now." Gingerly, the redhead placed a hand on the small of the other woman's back.

A shaky hand raked through blonde hair. "I know. It's just..." a small hiccup threatened oncoming sobs--and worse.

"Your dad," the two words were quiet, firm, and unquestioning. Chloe wasn't sure if she could hate anyone, but if she did, it'd be that man. Aubrey nodded, tears leaving tracks down the beautiful and usually composed face. "I've got you now." Carefully, Chloe led them to the leather--easier to clean--couch and wrapped her best friend in a blanket. "I'm gonna get some water and a rag, okay? Deep breaths, sweetie. We're meeting potential Bellas today, remember?" The blonde seemed a little better with that comment.

*******

"Just... let me know where you're at with English," Beca spoke carefully. She really didn't want to have a roommate at all--much less a creepy one with no potential for communication.  _Please say_ **_something_ ** _._ The girl's name was Kimmy Jin. That's really all she knew.

"Campus security! Hide your wine coolers!" That was her dad. She'd hoped to be a little more settled before having to see him. "Just your dad. Making a funny."  _Right. That's what that was._

She honestly did her best to hide frustration and the desire to just kick him out. She considered herself half successful, deciding to run off to the activities fair instead before she really put her foot in her mouth.

Several booths were confusing and strange, and a group of men sang obnoxiously off to the side. She found herself drawn toward the booth with the gorgeous women. If it weren't for the ginger, she'd probably have avoided the blonde with a rod up her ass. Uptight just didn't seem strong enough a description.

Aubrey had already decided she knew everything about the tiny, _alternative_ brunette making her way toward them. In a completely different way, so had Chloe; she knew they needed something different from previous years to take the win. This 'alt girl' was that something. A little more eager--and possibly flustered--than usual, she explained a capella, ending with, "It's all from our mouths."

"Yikes." Beca was decidedly unimpressed and walked off with an apology and cockeyed smirk, swearing she couldn't sing.

Once she was out of earshot, Aubrey groaned, "What are we gonna do?"

Chloe sighed, "We need her."

"With those ear monstrosities? No. There is no way that girl could help us win. And she said she doesn't even sing. **Focus,** Chloe. We can't lose again this year." The tall blonde sounded close to nausea again.

"You're right." Chloe responded with a sigh and turned her attention away from the departing brunette. "What about her?"

*******

The, seemingly, one good thing to come from the activities fair was an internship at the school's radio station. Stacking CDs instead of playing or mixing music sucked, but the air guitar guy from drop off was actually kind of funny.  _And who cares if Luke just calls me Becky?_ _I'm just paying some dues, right?_ If she played her cards just right, she might even be able to convince her dad she was making friends and trying--despite his current opinion of the station.

A few days later, Beca found herself in need of a mixing break and shower at a time she expected no one would be in the communal bathroom. The song in her head filled the room's natural acoustics. Just as she turned on the shower, the curtain behind her was slowly but forcefully opened. "I knew it! You **can** sing!"

Oceanic blues stared wide eyed at her above a huge grin. "Dude!" Beca objected, throwing the curtain back closed.  _I am so nude right now. What is this psycho bitch doing? And why does she look familiar?_

"How high does your belt go?" Chloe asked, reopening the curtain without a care.

_She's gorge-- "_ My what?" Suddenly the water was turned off. "Oh my god!"

"You have to sing for the Bellas."  _Oh. Mouth girl._

"I can't focus on anything you're saying unless you cover your junk." _Seriously. I don't know where to look._  Chloe may not have heard. Probably heard and didn't care. Just like Beca tried to pretend she didn't care and didn't want to pay more attention to Chloe's junk than whatever she had to say. In Chloe's mind, explaining Prince's butt was more important than listening. So was knocking Beca's shampoo out of her hand. "Oh shit. Seriously? Iamnude."

As Beca pressed herself against the shower wall, sending glares backwards-- _this way neither of us can really see too much--_ the redhead persevered in her ill-timed quest, "You were singing Titanium, right?"

"You know David Guetta?"  _A psycho with good taste in music... if poor taste in extra curriculars and completley void of social scruples._

"Have I been living under a rock? Yeah."  _A rock in which this is remotely not-awkward and a capella is cool._  "It's my jam."  _Fair._  "My lady jam."

"That's nice." Not that Beca cared or wanted to hear more. Definitely not.

Chloe was a bit of a compulsive oversharer. "That song really builds."

"Gross."  _Noted_.

"Can you sing it for me?"

"Dude, no.  **Get out** ."

"Not for **that** reason." Chloe proceeded to threaten a forever naked existence if Beca didn't sing, so she had no choice but to turn around  _Just don't look at her... flawless body... there's absolutely no reason to look while you sing. None... why do I have no resolve?_ Just a couple of words after she began singing, Chloe harmonized perfectly. That was definitely why Beca was suddenly sweaty with goosebumps. Music does things to you. A few awkward seconds after they finished, Chloe seemed to realize she, also, was completely nude. "Oh. Yeah. I'm pretty confident about... all this."

Beca gave one more once over before hesitantly acknowledging, "You should be."

*******

Aubrey replayed the previous year's ICCA fiasco for at least the hundredth time. Tear tracks streaked down her face. By captaining the Bellas, she knew she was breaking one of her father's cardinal rules, "If at first you don't succeed, pack your bags," but it didn't matter. She had to win and redeem herself. The front door opened, and she quickly closed her laptop. "I am so glad our shower is broken," Chloe sing-songed.

The blonde was almost afraid to ask. "Why?"

"Well, Tom and I we--"

"Chloe! You know I don't care what you do so long as I don't have to pick you up off the floor, heartbroken and sobbing again like Sophomore year, but I don't want details!" Aubrey's voice was almost shrill.

"Oh, no. He was just helping with that one spot on my back. You know, the one I can never get on my own?" Aubrey blushed a little; Chloe had been calling her in for assistance with that spot for almost three years now. "And someone with just this  **wonderful** voice came in."

"How long did you wait around for her to finish?"

"Oh, I didn't. I was way too excited."

Aubrey stood and crossed her arms. "You  **are not** about to tell me you went into that poor girl's stall."

"She didn't seem too bothered by it."  _Well... maybe she_ **_was_ ** _a little bothered... but I can help with that if she wants. "_ And I got her to sing. Bree, we harmonized  **flawlessly** ."

Hands covered the blonde's face. "What if she tells everyone we're creepy shower stalkers? This is not okay, Chloe. Who was it?"

"Well... we met her at the activities fair." With this phrase, a bit of uncharacteristic sheepishness muted Chloe's features.

"Not that smug alt bitch." There was a whiny sort of pleading in the blonde's voice at this point.

"We need her, Aubrey!" They argued about it almost the entire way to auditions.

After Beca's impromptu,  _irreverent, irresponsible,_ and unprepared audition, Aubrey hated herself for being convinced. All her preconceptions about the girl were, of course, true. It was just that the tiny brunette was hiding something better underneath the alternative style and castle of defense mechanisms.

"We did it!" Chloe whispered at the end of the Bella's  _needlessly creepy_ initiation, breaking Aubrey out of her troubled reverie.

"Did we?" was the only response she could muster with a group of uncoordinated misfits squeeing in front of her.

*******

'Aca-Initiation Night' was really just an excuse for underclassmen to get drunk, but everyone other than Aubrey and Beca seemed excited. The Treblemakers arrived sooner, and Jesse was already drunkenly rambling about 'aca-children'. Beca liked him; he was a quirky kind of almost charming and funny... cute.  _You're an aca-child_ . But something just didn't click for her. Not that anything ever clicked with anyone, but that was beside the point. The real point was that wolves might rip her throat out or something, and he was drunk. Seeming to realize Beca was just humoring him, Jesse decided to get her a drink. She was somewhat relieved--both to be alone and to be receiving alcohol soon. Nerves were definitely a thing.

A short distance away, Aubrey's attention was mostly on her best friend. The girl held her heart out for anyone to take, and alcohol was almost always a recipe for disaster. Chloe rushed up and pulled Beca to her, foreheads almost touching in way of a greeting. "I'm really glad I met you. I think we're going to be really fast friends."

_Chloe, keep your toner in your pants. This girl is **not** good for you. _ Aubrey tensed and stared, bristling with what was definitely-not-jealousy. She was completely oblivious to Fat Amy sidling up beside her.

Meanwhile, Beca raised her eyebrows, kept eye contact, and commented, "Well, you saw me naked," with a wink and a smirk.  _Is that a good thing or... I mean, I might let you do it aga--wnatiswrongwithme? Am I clicking?_

"You didn't seem to mind," was the redhead's response.  _Oh god, she's terrified of me, isn't she? Or... but... she joined the Bellas..._  Somehow, it sounded like an apology.

"Mm. Yeah. That's called shell shock, I think." Beca's eyes didn't leave Chloe's  _absolutely gorgeous blue eyes._

Fat Amy tried to get Aubrey's attention by guessing which Bella, based on statistics, was bound to be a lesbian. Barely holding her tongue, Aubrey mused,  _More than one of us. At least three of us like women. You better not hurt her, Mitchell._ Instead of speaking, she just nodded and 'hmm'ed with her mouth open. Luckily for her, Stacie and Cynthia Rose were roughly in the same direction as Beca and Chloe. Fat Amy had no idea she hadn't taken her eyes off of the latter duo. She wished--not for the first time--that she could read lips.

"Alright, I'm gonna go get a drink. This ginger needs her jiggle juice." Chloe punctuated with a hands-raised butt wiggle and made her way to the alcohol. "See ya later!'

"Make good choices." Beca called after her, at once relieved her bubble was no longer invaded and wishing she had decided to follow. Aubrey relaxed and turned her attention to Amy's hair, alcohol, and dancing.


	2. Somewhere Only We Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First two performances.

Chloe opened the front door to their house and peeked at the blonde on the couch. She seemed to have fallen asleep sitting up. Several textbooks, two laptops, and a moderate number of wine coolers littered the coffee table. Chloe rolled her eyes and gathered the wine coolers. Once the last one--  _really, Aubrey, nine?_ \--was thrown away, the redhead sat on the edge of the couch and gingerly pushed blonde hairs out of her friend's face. "Aubrey, sweetie?" She just received a moan and scrunchy face in response. "Aubrey," she sing-songed softly, "you should move to your bed."

Sleepy, slurred mumbles resembling, "I have to finish my essay for practice tomorrow. Professor Bellas will fail the team and the Rawlings will never win at competition."

_She is crazy committed, a little broken, and probably too much of a perfectionist for her own good, but damnit if Aubrey Posen is not adorable sometimes._  "I'll get you up early for the essay and finish planning practice while you sleep. Okay? C'mon."

"Mmmm. You're always taking care of me." Aubrey seemed about to cry, but accepted the ginger's assistance in sitting up.

Chloe cupped Aubrey's face, kissed her forehead, and somehow managed to keep blue eyes wide open and optimistic while frowning. "I made a promise, Bree; you're my best friend."

*******

Beca leaned against a tree in the quad, headphones and resting bitch face firmly in place. After yet another practice in which Aubrey yelled for no reason, Chloe forced her body to perform the correct dance moves--  _I don't dance; don't make me?_ \--and it was absolutely clear that there was only one real captain; the brunette needed the clarity and absolution that came with editing. At some point, Jesse deposited a Capri Sun on her legs behind the laptop. She moved one of the 'phones off her ear. "Seriously?"

"They're brain juice," he replied like it was a perfectly reasonable statement. "How was Bellas practice?" She glared at nothing in particular and locked her jaw in response. "Right... so about as good as usual then."

"No one has a valid opinion unless it's Aubrey's."

"Sounds like she has control issues. What about her co-captain?"

"That's an understatement. Too much friction and her stomach unloads." Beca sighed and pulled the headphones all the way down to her neck. "Chloe seems to agree with me."

"But?"

_But Aubrey has her balls in a fucking chokehold._  "But she's more concerned with keeping Aubrey comfortable and in charge than doing what's best for the group."  _Which… is odd, come to think of it, considering how passionate she is._

"Ah..." Jesse faded into silence for a few moments before growing uncomfortable. "What're you working on?"

Beca closed the laptop. "Another mix. Nothing too exciting. I'm just really inspired right now."

"Can I hear?"

Beca thought quietly about it for a while; she didn't show many people her mixes before they were done. Did Jesse really count as a friend? "Not here." She stood and headed to her dorm without any further clarification.

*******

Chloe wasn't sure why she felt jealous every time she saw Beca with Jesse. She had Aubrey.  _Sort of._ And Tom.  _Sort of._ She tried to tell herself it wasn't actually jealousy, but frustration that the oath was potentially being broken. Even thinking about it, alone in her room, her fists white-knuckled. The animosity between the freshman and Aubrey--as sexually charged and amusing to watch as it was--definitely didn't help. She wanted  _so badly_ to protect them both. Beca was right- _-on so many levels_ \--but Aubrey was her best friend-- _and sometimes, confusingly, a little more_ .

Chloe brought her mug to her lips only to find it empty. With a sigh, she took it to the kitchen and put the kettle on. Every time Chloe brought it up, Aubrey would swear she was trying--she did offer Beca the solo, after all--but she wouldn't actually cave on anything  **important.** The rest of the group is suffering. At this rate, Chloe didn't even know if anyone would be willing  **or** capable of taking up the pitch pipe at the end of the year.  _Maybe I'll just skip all the work in Russian Lit... I can make it up in the summer if all goes well._

*******

Sweat pooled beneath Aubrey in the gym. No one else seemed to take her insistence on cardio seriously, so she made up for them in her own workouts. Her workout playlist consisted primarily of the Dixie Chicks and Bruno Mars. Thoughts of the Bellas swarmed in her head, making continuous checklists.

_Fat Amy actually ran_ **_vertically_ ** _in practice the other day._ Check.

_Stacie limits her self groping to boobs in convenient parts of choreography now... we can put her in the back_ . Check.

_Chloe has found a comfortable, miniscule range that doesn't hurt too bad._ … Check?

_Beca... is insufferable and probably a little right... but I can't shake the boat right now._ Very not check.

*******

"Beca, wait!" Chloe called after practice. She'd had to grab her things hurriedly to catch up to the smaller young woman. Beca turned around and raised an eyebrow, arms crossed as she waited. "Come with me to the uni cafe? I'm craving some coffee, but Aubrey won't let it in the house."

"Of course she won't." Beca started walking again. "What do you guys have instead?"

"Thirty teas or so. Don't get me wrong: it's great when you're in the mood," the redhead did not miss the freshman's smirk and red ears, but chose to ignore them as she continued, "but sometimes you just need something with a little more bite."

"Makes sense." Beca wasn't really sure what to add to the conversation, and silence was neither stranger nor enemy. Few people found it comfortable--including her most of the time--but it was comfort **ing** on occasion. With Chloe by her side, somehow it was both.

They were nearly to the cafe when the senior finally spoke up, "Why do you always run out after practice?"

The eyebrows shot up again. "Really, dude?"

"What?"

Beca scoffed. "Aubrey hates me. Why would I stick around?"

"She doesn't...” she protested, sounding a bit less earnest than usual as doubt crept behind the sparkle in her eyes, “You are sticking around, though; you're still in the group."

"Whatever you say.... I'm only still in the group because it's the only way to get to LA next year," she opened the door.

"LA?"  _You're leaving?_ Chloe couldn't deny she felt crushed, however little that made sense.  _You are a **senior,** Chloe Beale_ .

"Dad's rules: I have to be involved this year and really give it a shot."

Chloe threw open the café door, strode to the counter, and ordered in lieu of responding. Once they both had drinks and seats, she caught Beca's eyes. Her next words were soft, tone gentle, almost as though she was afraid of a biting retort, "Are you really giving it a shot sticking in a group you don't like?"

Surprise flickered behind the dark blue irises. "I never said I don't like the Bellas."

"You fight every step of the way," Chloe reminded.

"I fight Aubrey's insistence on sticking with outdated music and dance moves older than our parents when we could be  **so good** if she just got flexible. Everyone else is kind of cool... in a super weird, nerdy way."  _This would actually kind of be amazing if the bitch would just loosen up._

"She's just... afraid."  _Flexibility is_ **_so_ ** _not an issue._

"Yeah, well, her fear's gonna keep us from winning. And she's gonna blame it on  **me** ." Chloe noted the resignation and lack of actual annoyance in Beca's voice,  _Almost sounds like you just want her to like you._

*******

Aubrey crawled into bed with Chloe, smoothing red hair out of a surprisingly tan face. "Chlo, it's okay. Shhh." She had been crying out and tossing violently in her sleep. "Chloe, wake up. C'mon. It's not happening. He’s not here. It's okay." Blue eyes shot open. "It's okay. I'm here. Hey." Chloe blinked and curled around her in response. "The same dream again?" A nod and muffled muttering came in reply. "Okay. I'm gonna stay here and rub your back, okay? You can go back to sleep; you'll be safe."  _Maybe we’re both a little broken… but that’s okay. Chloe is exactly what I need; and she needs me too. I won’t die alone… she promised._

*******

_Aubrey excused the rest of the team, eyes locked on Beca with a mixture of ire and desire. Either could be dangerous on their own; together, they were fatal. The brunette took a few steps back and stammered in response, “Aubrey, what’s—“_

_“One way or another, Beca Mitchell, you’re_ **_going_ ** _to realize I’m right,” the blonde advanced with mischief in her eyes._

_“Bree, I’m not really sure this is the best—“ Chloe started to protest, seemingly scared of where this was going._

_“Be quiet, Chloe, and go back to ‘teaching’ her how to dance.”_

Beca woke abruptly to a piece of crumpled paper hitting her face. "It's four am. You keep moaning and  **arching.** It's really inconvenient, Beca." Kimmy Jin was a joy as always.  _The_ **_fuck_ ** _was that? I just hope I'm not saying any names._ Beca  groaned and turned onto her shoulder. This wasn’t exactly the first dream in which singing seemed far from everyone’s minds.

*******

Their first performance went well, considering the set. Amy's antics were amusing to everyone but Aubrey--which just made Beca appreciate them even more. Prison, Jesse, and her dad hampered Beca's surprising joy at moving forward only a little. Their--limited--success is probably what gave her the confidence to try showing everyone one of her mixes during the emergency meeting.

Considering the lack of relationship she had with Aubrey, it really shouldn't have  **hurt** so much to be shut down this time. It hadn't really hurt before, right?  _I'm not seeking her approval or anything. Right?_

And it really shouldn't have hurt Aubrey to see Beca deflate. She was just... _stubborn_ and _narcissistic_ and _self-righteous_. Despite the mantra of words, the blonde had trouble convincing herself. _That tightening of her shoulders and chest and throat... that's an act. She's just trying to goad me into breaking form. She's a_ ** _freshman_** _who'd never even_ ** _done_** _a capella before_ _. I'd be crazy to listen to her._

Chloe, though, knew how completely right and not fair it was that she ached for both. Knew she'd be defending Beca even as she comforted a confused and conflicted Aubrey later that night.

She also knew they'd never have Beca. That they'd never admit wanting Beca to each other. That it would and could never be  **right** . She also didn't know  **how** she wanted Beca. Or Aubrey. In denial about the depth of her feelings despite simultaneous awareness of their existence. How did that work?

As practices grew more stale and repetitive, Beca grew restless. Chloe was dragging her to the cafe after almost every practice and showing up at the station with coffee just to keep her from exploding. Aubrey wasn’t happy about the amount of extracurricular time they spent together at first, but begrudgingly admitted to herself,  _She doesn’t flinch when Chloe tries to help anymore, at least._

Chloe, on the other hand, started obsessing about why Beca seemed constantly sunburnt.  _I_ **_know_ ** _she’s not spending any time in the sun._

Despite common belief, Beca wasn't actually against physical contact; she just didn't really know what to do with it when something more than platonic bubbled under the surface. She'd been down that road--though she would never admit it--and her parents had been down that road... and she just  **couldn't** . The easy hugs, thoughtless cuddles, ease of fitting on one couch cushion together... they just weren't there anymore. 9 years is a long time for a kid and teen to devote to a friendship. 15 years is a long time for people be married and suddenly not want to be anymore. She didn't realize she was comfortable with Jesse's closeness. Especially didn't realize it meant she didn't see him as a threat to her heart. Chloe didn't realize that either.

*******

"Yes, Daddy. We're ready. Our set is perfectly memorized. Choreography perfectly in sync," Aubrey assured over the phone. Chloe could hear her voice waft in from the bathroom. Her first instinct was to run to the toilet when the phone rang. After meeting her family a few years ago, the redhead could almost understand. "I won't eat anything before the competition. I'm not even eating dinner tonight." Chloe's eyes clenched and she sighed. They had fought over that point despite both understanding the reason  **why** Bree was fasting. "4.0 GPA, Daddy. Yes. I won't embarrass you." There was silence for a bit, and Chloe knew the blonde was biting her lip. "Again. Right. I won't embarrass you again. I love you, Daddy." Seconds later, vomit hit the toilet water. Chloe set aside her knitting and went into the bathroom to hold Aubrey's hair and rub circles on her back.

"Is he coming to watch?"

"Not again," Aubrey sounds defeated.

"That's... probably best, sweetie." Chloe has never been sure how to tell her best friend that the man she absolutely adores is an abusive, crazy asshat with nonsense sayings. "We're going to do great, and you don't need the distraction." The blonde just leans into her knee and nods as her stomach continues emptying.

*******

Semi-Finals didn't go badly in the way anyone expected. Aubrey kept her four Saltines (mandated by Chloe) and a Sprite in her stomach. Fat Amy maintained her dress code. Stacie only groped herself once. The second coming of young Michael Jackson threw them and thrilled the audience, but they didn't freak out. Until Beca took the performance into her own hands.  _They hate us; I've worked too hard for this._ **_We've_ ** _worked too hard for this._ Even then, they finished the set with minor disruption.

Shit hit the fan when they got off stage. Beca was feeling good about herself, about their performance, and Aubrey just tore into her. An increasingly familiar sense of panic built in the brunette's chest: Aubrey's response was literal vomit; Beca's was defensive word vomit. Neither was pretty to witness. "No, that's okay you don't have to pretend you're allowed to have a say in the group, right?"   _No... fuck. No. Why does this always happen?_ Jesse stepped in and tried to defend her. "Jesus Christ. That's perfect. Of  **course** you're here right now. I don't need your help, okay? Can you just back off?"  _And~ another friendship bites the dust. Fucking hell. "_ If this is what I get for trying?" She scoffed and turned away with an aimless gesture.

Chloe tried not to cry as she watched the tiny girl storm off, unaware of the tears streaming down the other girl's face. Aubrey took several shallow breaths before seething, "I told you." She couldn't even argue. They were both right, and it was time for a certain redhead to take stock of her life and get it in order.

*******

[Hey.] 12:03 am. Beca hadn't slept yet, but there were four new mixes on her laptop.

[Chloe?] 2:17 am. She hadn't stayed asleep long.

[I'm sorry.] 5:41 am. She'd dreamt of Chloe sobbing and Aubrey throwing up and everyone in the group leaving. Kimmy Jin was woken up by the noise, but couldn't bring herself to glare at a sobbing girl. This was a  **different** kind of inconvenience.

[I really am. I just... when I get stressed, I guess I don't think and I just... it's not okay, I know.] 12:37 pm. Chloe wasn't at any of her usual lunch spots.

[Chloe, I don't want to lose you. I don't... I'm not good with my feelings. They just bottle up. I'm sorry.] 3:46 pm. Beca was listless in the dorm room. She had cried more times in two days than she had since her parents split.  _I don't even know_ **_why_ ** _._

[Chlo?] 6:19 pm. She was about to go into her first  **real** shift at the station.

Chloe was on a plane, in the airport, or with her family discussing surgery.

*******

Aubrey stayed at school for a special study. Her father was glad to not have a disappointment around and relieved she wasn't  **just** hiding from him. She received the phone call about another team's cheating while working out to a recording of Beca's shift. Why? She couldn't even begin to think about answering that. The girl was a nuisance. Immediately, she texted everyone who  **hadn't** walked out on them after sabotaging her set.

Chloe texted back [!!!!!!!!!! =D] in response. Shortly followed by [Don't tell your dad. Let it be a surprise. <3 C u soon.]  _Texts don't cost per character anymore, you know._ Aubrey grinned fondly and got back to her workout. 

*******

[We're reinstated. If you're really sorry, show up Tuesday at 6:15.] 1:19 pm. Beca leaped at her phone, a grin spreading across her face when she saw it was Chloe.

[Does Aubrey know I'm invited?] 1:21 pm.

[What do u think? Just be there. I'll take care of Bree.] 1:30 pm. Beca frowned and started a reply when the next one came in.

[I'm not the only one u need to say sorry to.] 1:32 pm.

The DJ sighed, wrote multiple drafts to a number she’d only messaged once, deleted them all, and finally settled on a reply to Chloe instead, [I know.] 1:41 pm.

[Go get him.] 1:44 pm.

[????] 1:46 pm.  _Does autocorrect ever change her to him?_

[Jesse?] 2:10 pm. Beca stared at the text for far too long before moving her legs to see him.  _If Chloe, Aubrey,_ **_and_ ** _my dad think there's something there... maybe there is?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos, guys. :)  
> Songs are from my writing playlist--which was originally created out of emotional masochism. The song used will loosely relate to the chapter but not summarize it.  
> Also, I don't really have a beta at this point. All the people who agreed have crapped out on me due to busy schedules. So~ I've tried my best to self-edit thrice. Caught stuff each time. Hopefully it flows and such well. Lemme know in the comments if you have suggestions or want to do some betaing for me.  
> And I'm a master at BBCodes--which are based off of HTML and make a lot more sense--but I can't seem to grasp HTML's color system. The italic thoughts in my master doc are color coded for ease of reading. Anyone wants to convert to HTML for me, I'd be super appreciative. Otherwise... I hope it's not too difficult to read.


	3. I Really Like You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonding  
> "Are you sure you're gay?"

"Becalou!" It was nearly a shout and one of the best sounds Beca ever heard.

Her face broke into a huge grin. "Hey, Traci."

"What's up? Music going well? College? Any boyfriends yet? C'mon, I gotta live vicariously." Beca covered her face at her best friend's enthusiasm.

"Is it really that bad?"

"Yes." From Traci's tone, Beca could imagine the dead eyes and raised eyebrow.

"Alright... well, a lot's been going on."  _No shit. "_ There's this a capella group I joined... and kind of messed things up because the head bitch is a  **total bitch** but I kind of like her anyway,"  _maybe I had a seizure "_ and now I'm not in the group, and I don't know how many of them would want me back, but one of them does and...." **  
**

"... what?" Traci's voice was the epitomy of incredulity.

"I know, it's totally lame, but..."

"Beca Mitchell, I have been trying to get you to  **watch** a capella on youtube for years. And now you've joined a group, fucked it up, and  **realized** you fucked it up  **before calling me** ?"

The brunette chuckled into her phone. "I know~."

"You realize how long it takes you to realize you've gone crazy and fucked something up, right?"

_Don't remind me. "_ Yes~. I'm sorry. I just... I know your year has sucked and I didn't really want to..."

"Talk about it. Like always. I know. What made you join in the first place?" Beca unraveled the entire first semester and a half with several tangents and sessions of laughter. After a few hours, the story faded into silence. "So... what now?"

"I was kind of hoping you'd tell me."

Traci sighed. "Somehow I knew you were gonna say that. Does it make you happy?"

"Stupidly."

"Then why are we on the phone?"

"Because I love you and doubt myself constantly?"

"I love you too. Stop being a dumbass. And don't wait so long between phone calls."

She also went to her dad for good measure. He was a veteran at fucking things up and quitting. He was also in control of her future in LA. The end result was walking into a very confusing mess of screaming women and vomit.

*******

Practice ended early; the other girls sent home after finally finding their sound in the pool. Beca, Aubrey, and Chloe headed back to the practice room to completely rethink Nationals. First thing Beca did is erase the entire whiteboard. Aubrey gasped. "We're keeping some of it. It means a lot to you, and I'm not callous enough to ignore that." The blonde visibly relaxed. "There's just... no space left. And... we're taking it with us."

"What? Where?" Chloe asked.

"I figured your... are you guys in an apartment or dorm or..."

Aubrey played with her fingernail. "House. The, um, Bellas they have a house."

Beca stared at both of them, mouth slightly ajar for a while. "Seriously? Why haven't we been practicing  **there** ?"

"Well... we didn't really feel like the real Bellas until now," Aubrey muttered. Chloe just bit her lip and looked off to the side.  _Aubrey didn't want to share until we were perfect. Okay._   "And the acoustics are better here."

"But... can we do this there, right?"

"Absolutely." Chloe and Beca were both relieved at the response.

*******

The next six hours were consumed by brainstorming and quick mixing until, finally, Chloe decided they needed a break. Beca stared, almost petrified at the DVD in her friend's hands. "I really do not want to watch that."

"C'mon, we need to relax and this could give us some ideas while we do!"

"I don't like movies, Chlo."

"You watched all those 80's films for Jesse; you can watch one for us." It really wasn't fair when she turned those huge blue eyes to pleading.

"How many movies?" Aubrey sounded like victory was just within her gasp.

"Umm... like... six." The blonde's eyes widened and Beca had to cut off the words about to come out of her mouth, " But no one was here at Spring Break--not even Kimmy Jin. And no one was speaking to me." Neither of the other women looked remotely convinced. "And I multitasked too. Honestly most of it was during my shifts at the station."

_That explains the abundance of classics during her shift. "_ I knew you had a toner for him!"

Beca hissed in and sighed, "Still just my dick."

Aubrey huffed and wrapped her arms around Beca, pulling the smaller girl to the couch with ease. "Shut up; you're not ruining this."

The brunette couldn't speak, frozen to the spot, doomed to watch Chloe move the DVD from its boxed set and into the player. "Aynway, t's a bunch of impromptu mashups. You're bound to love it." Chloe seemed oblivious to Beca's misfortune. Until she turned around, "Really, Beca, you need to relax," and took her place next to them, arms wrapping around the brunette's middle. Aubrey's legs somehow managed to tangle with Beca's.

"I'm not getting out of this, am I?" Beca barely squeaked out. She wasn't really even sure she wanted to.  _Whatiswrongwithme? I thought I was getting better._ Somehow, their smells mingled and tried to suffocate her. With joy.  _Can something good smother you without touch?_

Chloe started the movie and nuzzles Beca's neck, sending shivers and goosebumps across her body, "I think you're going to enjoy this movie."  _You're cute when you're bothered._

*******

Three hours later, Aubrey was dead asleep, Beca was stiff as a board, and Chloe was trying to stay up despite the weight in her eyelids. "Is there anything that would help you sleep?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything at this point. Why," she poked her own stomach around the other girls' arms before continuing, "this is happening?"

"You're pretty warm."

"... yeah?"

"Ewan McGregor is pretty hot." Beca scoffed in reply. "So is Nicole Kidman."

"I'm not gay." There's something unsure about the way she says it, but Chloe lets it lie. That comforting, comfortable silence settled for a while as Beca wriggled. Aubrey moaned softly in her sleep. "Seriously?"

Chloe giggled. "I thought you were getting better with physical contact."

"This is Aubrey. This is sustained. This was a movie."

"You don't seem to have any problems with Jesse."

"He... I don't know. It's easier."

"With him," Chloe makes it sound more like a statement than a question, but Beca answers anyway.

"With guys in general." Beca can't feel the small smile or quirk of an eyebrow, but she infers from Chloe's shifting that she's about to ask a question. "What?"

"Are you sure you're not gay?"

_This was bound to come sooner or later. No straight girl invades another girl's shower. "_ Yeah. I mean, in high school, there was this girl who was DETERMINED to convert me. Did everything she could to get me riled up. And in theatre, there were quite a few who had crushes I may have kissed, but..."

Chloe gasped, "You were in theatre?!"

"Sound design. Never on stage; I hate the spotlight." The redhead snorted. "Usually. Exceptions can be made. Point is: I'm irreparably straight." She just received a 'hmm' in response. "What about you and Aubrey? What's going on between you two?"

It was Chloe's turn to stiffen. "What do you mean?"

"You two... just have a strange sense of familiarity. You light up when you talk about her. Dim when she's upset. Seems," she narrowed her eyes, "a bit... more than best friends and cocaptains of an a capella squad."

_For someone so oblivious to your own feelings, you sure are intuitive, aren't you, Beca Mitchell? "_ No one knows this,& the redhead paused to check that Aubrey was actually asleep, &but something happened right before the school year  **really** started. She loves-- **loves** \--chocolate and mint together. We were up really late and kind of out of it... and we've always kind of flirted, I guess. I dropped a piece of candy on myself. She decided to help clean it up." Blood rushed to her face. "With her mouth."

Beca flushed a little as well and swiftly shifted the subject onto childhood, inferring that Aubrey's dad was even crazier than his sayings--though Chloe insisted that was really the blonde's story to tell. Chloe's family was pretty well off, but she didn't trust doctors. "I thought with your caretaking tendencies you might be going for doctor."

A small shiver went through the redhead's body. "Definitely not. I'm thinking elementary school teacher. Or exotic dancer. Whichever pays best."

A small chuckle escaped from the brunette. "That'd be dancer. You've got the skills for it."

"You've been paying attention?"

_Beca Mitchell, don't you dare hop down that rabbit hole of teasing. "_ Is she actually asleep?" Beca diverted. Aubrey  **had** just moved her leg in the wrong-- _right_ \--way  **again** .

"Pretty sure." They watched her sleep for a while before Beca gently brought up doctors again. The redhead explained a far distant abuse that had permanently--and subtly--scarred her both physically and emotionally. Beca was shocked and irate, ready to tear into the abuser if she ever met the bastard. Chloe had to calm her down.

On her side, Beca explained how she used to crave physical affection. How she couldn't trust it anymore.

"Your heart was broken."

_Umm. By my female best friend? "_ No... my trust was."

"The trust breaking shattered your heart, sweetie."

Beca didn't have a response. Part of her wanted to argue, swore she'd never given that much of her heart. Most of her remembered the mixes everyone thought was made for a genuine break up.

They talked well into the morning. Kind of giving a crash course in each other. Chloe would also share some of Aubrey's better bits sometimes. The woman was tightly wound with barbed wire, but--if Chloe could be trusted--had a heart of gold underneath it all. Finally, both were exhausted and starving and needed fresh air. By the end of it, Beca was almost sure she liked Aubrey as well as she did Chloe-- _and isn't that a change?_ The rest of the year would definitely be... interesting.

*******

Their first practice after that night went more smoothly than any preceeding it. The white board was separated into five sections. "Okay, awesome nerds," Beca began, "so here's the deal. We have some very distinct strengths and differences in this group, right?" Something resembling a cheer went up; they could even hear a squeak from Lily. "So we're going to pick five songs. The first one will be a classic. Let's lull the crowd into submission with the same old boring," Aubrey flicked her, "stuff,  **ow,** so that when we bring our  **real** sound, they're thrilled and surprised." Chloe nodded with wide eyes and a subdued grin.  _You are so natural at leading. Hot._ Even Aubrey failed to hide a smirk. "After that, I think we should showcase Lily and Cynthia Rose."

Both girls looked surprised. Cynthia Rose raised her hand. "We haven't been shown much attention all year... why now?"

Aubrey took the lead, "I haven't been playing to our strengths all year round. In the worst way possible," she rolled her eyes in the brunette's direction, "Beca has been trying to get me to see that. Chloe and I picked each of you at the beginning of the year for a reason. I was just too stuck in the past to remember it."

Chloe nodded and squeezed the blonde's hand. "So, let's figure out which classic and brainstorm ideas for the second showcase."

They worked, for only the third time, like a team. Feeling victory within reach just like they had each time in the derelict pool, the Bellas eagerly shouted out song ideas and soloist options. Some options Beca knew wouldn't work in their mix, but she filed away for later, suddenly realizing she wanted to  **stay** . Which meant her dad was  **right.** But you know, looking at her team--at Aubrey and Chloe finally relaxed and excited--she didn't  **care** .  _This is good._

*******

Beca came up with about seven different arrangements for them to try out. All of them were fantastic. All would make them place. But only one would make them  **win** that year. For Aubrey's sake, they had to figure out which  **one** to choose. Once that was done, Chloe and Stacie got to work figuring out choreography. This process involved a lot of dancing workshops in which the group's dancing capacity was determined mixed with heavier cardio--much to Fat Amy's dismay--and weird vocal exercises to expand their volume range. After each practice the radio station didn't interfere with, Beca ended up on Aubrey and Chloe's couch. Initially, they excused the habit as necessity because they were still figuring out arrangements. Then because Beca needed help dancing. Then because studying without the raincloud of Kimmy Jin was easier--which meant more time for the Bellas. Eventually, they gave in and admitted that having Beca nearby was just preferable.

Almost every night, Chloe would rope Beca into watching something with her--very few movies, but plenty of singular tv episodes and other a capella groups on YouTube--and the two would fall asleep together on the couch, limbs tangling. After three weeks of waking up for her morning run to this, Aubrey grabbed a spray bottle full of lemon scented water and gently soaked their faces.  _If you're gonna sleep like dogs, I'm gonna wake you up like bad cats._ Beca rolled off the couch with a squeal. "Dude! Seriously?"

"Dixie Chicks serious. You two remember there's actually a  **bed** like two meters away from you, right?" Aubrey's eyebrow twitched, and Beca was suspicious a vein might start pulsing any  moment.

Chloe pulled her brunette source of warmth back onto the couch. "We don't really mean to fall asleep out here, Bree. It's jus--"

"Save it. I wouldn't really care if it weren't for the fact that your backs will hurt too much for you to sing or dance properly come time for the finals. And I won't have that. Sleep on the bed together or in separate beds." The blonde huffed and left them to the couch.

Beca sighed. "She has a point."

Chloe smirked and murmured sleepily, "Did that hurt to admit?"

"No," there was a little too much defense in her tone for the redhead to believe. "My back does, though."

"We can move." Beca rolled to her feet and helped pull Chloe up. Once in Chloe's bedroom, they stripped their clothes from the day before. Chloe was done first and laid on her side; Beca curled into her own ball and didn't give any indication she wanted to cuddle. The redhead inched closer, stopped only by Beca's unconscious stiffening.  _I think I prefer the couch. You_ **_have_ ** _to let me touch you then._ Chloe sighed.  _I am such a creep._


	4. Safe and Sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonding things.

Aubrey couldn't stop grinning. Dixie Chicks serious, the muscles would not relax. The girls were just... so... "Great, girls! Great. Absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for all your hard work. You've all really come together and it's just..." she trailed off into soft sniffling as Chloe wiped her own eyes and Beca smirked.

"You nerds are looking awesome. We sound glorious. Seriously, thank you guys." Her eyes definitely weren't glistening from pride or anything. There was dust. Their awesome dancing was kicking it up and stuff. Yup.

"All in!" Chloe called.  They had worked out their circle as well as their set as soon as everyone felt included. The girls trickled out slowly, seemingly hesitant to end their conversations and bonding, until just the three co-captains remained. Aubrey collected her items and made ready to leave.

"Join us for coffee?" Almost all hints of hesitation were gone from Beca's query.

The blonde turned to face her, surprised and suspicious.  _If you're making fun..._ There was no hint of malicious intent or teasing in the brunette's face, though. "That's... kind of your thing," she objected softly.

"It's a friend thing. I think we can call each other that now, Aubrey."

"Serious?"

Beca sighed and said, "Dixie Chicks," with an eye roll. The blond squealed and ran to hug her. "Um. Okay. Yep. You're welcome," Beca stammered with her arms pinned to her side.

"I have to drop off a paper at my professor's, but... I'll meet you there?" Aubrey asked pulling back and attempting to make eye contact. Beca just nodded and winced at the squeezy hug she received in return.

*******

"Thank you," Chloe repeated  _for like the twelfth time_ .

"Dude, I told you; I didn't do it for you," even exasperated, Beca's tone had a touch of adoration.

"I know, I know, but she'll never thank you in your language."

An eyebrow rose with the question, "My language?"

"Yeah. You know... Aubrey only ever got words. The ones that stuck were the bad ones. So she doesn't really like using her words." Beca's incredulous glance encouraged clarification. "I mean, the woman loves a speech, but she doesn't show appreciation to  **individuals** with words. She squeezes you or rubs your neck and hands after you cook for her or sits a little closer on the couch than normal."

Beca was quiet for a few more steps as she processed and considered. "She's done the latter a lot lately." Chloe's eyes squeezed with a nod--something Beca had determined was a sort of subtle encouragement the ginger probably wasn't even aware of. "How can I... I mean, what will she understand..."

"Coffee is something she can understand. You're good." A genuine half smile quirked Beca's lips and they finished the walk to the cafe in relative, easy silence.

*******

"We need to talk." Days later, Chloe plopped her purse on the coffee table in front of Beca, who looked alarmed. "No one's in trouble." The brunette only calmed slightly. "You need to talk to Jesse." This elicited a sigh.

"Chlo, I've tried. He has Benji answering the door and pretending he's not there, but I smell the popcorn." The older woman gave her a blank stare and slight, encouraging nod. "Benji doesn't eat popcorn. It gets stuck in his teeth and picking out the bits freaks him out. Like. A lot. He cried. Jesse is there."

Chloe tried to stifle her amusement. "Okay... so what happened after the semi-finals? I mean, it can't be just that night."

Beca sighed. "I push people away. I don't... I mean to do it; but I don't. I didn't even  **realize** I was doing it to him."

"It  **is** a problem you have." Beca smirked and gently pushed Chloe with her foot. ""Have you talked to him? In person?"

"Yeah... after your text." She was silent, gathering thoughts, for a bit too long, apparently. Chloe sat down and prodded her with an impatient face. "I thought he was upset because I yelled at him. I... I lost it that night, you know? But... thinking that just made him more upset?"

"Everyone thought you were together. He was constantly hanging out with you. You let him make himself at home in whatever corner of your life he wanted." Beca thought she detected a hint of jealousy in Chloe's tone. The girl was certainly more tense than normal. "You always seemed to protest just a little too much when Aubrey brought him up, and... then you made it clear that it was just that: protesting Aubrey. Do you like him?"

"I... I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"He's... cute. Like a puppy. He makes me laugh. I guess we'd be good together?" Chloe was a little too quiet. Too composed. "What?"

"Have you ever..." she honestly didn't know what to ask, much less how to ask it.

"I've had boyfriends. I guess I liked them."

"Well... I don't want to steal you away from anyone. If I hadn't invited you back, you probably would have made up with him by now," Chloe mumbled. Beca suspected someone else had put her up to the conversation.

"First: I don't belong to anyone. Second: he's the one being stubborn." Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Okay, we're both being stubborn. This is just who  **I am** , though. He's not... he's the easy kind."

"We still haven't figured out our last song."

Beca gawped. "You want me to serenade him. With an a capella group. At competition." Chloe nodded, not quite selfish enough to let out her thoughts,  _Or you could figure out why we sleep in a bed together every night. "_ That's so... 80s film."

"That's kind of the point." Beca only nodded in response.

*******

Kissing him afterwards wasn't as difficult as she expected. Probably something to do with the adrenaline of a sucessful performance. Neither she nor Jesse saw the looks Chloe and Aubrey cast their way. Both faces held a mixture of jealousy--or betrayal--and joy. The blonde's hand found its way to intertwine with her friend's. Beca ran back up to the stage and exited with a blush. A chuckle rumbled through the crowd as the next group prepared. Everyone patted her on the back and gave her hugs and she needed them to, "Stop."

Fat Amy looked hurt. She hadn't meant to say it at all--much less forcefully. "We've been waiting for you to choose all year, short stack."

_Choose?_ Beca sighed. "We just need to get out of the wings. I want to see the rest of the performances."  _And I need space_ .  She didn't complain when Chloe linked hands, allowing Aubrey to guide the train they'd made.

*******

"Aubrey, please. You'll all have fun, I promise." Jesse had been begging the Bellas to come to an aca-party in celebration of Barden winning First  **and** Second for what felt like hours now. The blonde in charge still seemed completely unimpressed and uninterested, occasionally giving Beca glances implying blame.  _I don't own him, dude._ Jesse took a huge breath, dropped to his knees, and threw his arms out to the sides dramatically. "Honorable Aca-Queen, Ms. Posen, I solemnly swear that we have changed our tune. More treble, less trouble, but all the same musical fun." Somehow, he managed to say those words  **without** a hint of sarcasm or condescension.

Aubrey melted. "Fine. Since Bumper is no longer in charge... and you seem to be genuine. Be warned: the moment any of you try to hurt my girls, wol--"

Beca put a hand over her mouth, "We'll be there. Nothing weird."

The puppy of a man grinned wide and jumped to his feet. He kissed Aubrey's hand and bellowed, "See you ladies there, then," before pulling Beca toward him for another kiss and running off. She was pretty sure she could hear him something about 'aca-children' to Benji before they were fully out of range.

Aubrey crossed her arms but let a smile grace her features, "I suppose he's better than Bumper."

Fat Amy scoffed and slapped the other blonde on the back. "He's a regular Joey. All energy and cuteness and a desperate need to get inside a pouch." Beca's eyes widened in confusion. "Kangaroos love cuddles."

Chloe giggled. "I guess I'm a Joey too, then."

"Oh definitely." She stage-whispered conspiratorially, "And I bet Beca has the best pouch," with a wink.

If possible, the DJ's eyes widened further. "What?"

"You've got the fattest heart hidden in all those tiny bones. I can tell." There was no understanding her sometimes. "So, WE'VE GOT A PARTY TO ATTEND!"

*******

It didn't take long for Beca to find an excuse to leave the party. Big social gatherings weren't really her  **thing** ; too many people for things to not go wrong.  _Crippling social anxiety..._  "Or just realism," she huffed under her breath at the voice in her head. It wasn't a crazy voice. She knew it was the internal personification of her subconscious. Too self aware sometimes, but not crazy. And not crippled by anxiety. She had friends.  _It's just..._ Kimmy Jin wasn't in their dorm room, and Beca just needed some time alone, and she had a victory mix begging to be made.

Chloe and Aubrey didn't notice her absence until late in the night thanks to accidental Bella diversions and the alcohol buzzing through their minds, so they didn't really think anything of it--especially since Jesse was still living large.

*******

For the last five weeks of school, the Bellas still had to practice occasionally--Aubrey's orders--but they were mostly free to just have fun and focus on finals. This fun often involved what Beca deemed &stupid sorority shit that [she] didn't sign up for.& Many shots were taken to avoid kissing some of the other girls.  _Seriously, guys? I have a boyfriend._

She also had a lot of 'moviecation' sessions with Jesse that frequently turned into watching torture documentaries from History channel. He was always confused but happy to spend time with her, regardless of activity. Most of the time, though, she worked on finals and new mixes on Chloe and Aubrey's couch--even when they weren't home; she'd essentially moved in.

The girls occasionally commented on it--seeming to joke and imply something about her relationship with them--while asking about Jesse, but she didn't really care what they thought. Amy and Lily were both crazy. Stacie saw the world behind sex-colored lenses. Cynthia Rose thought everyone in the world had a little lesbian in them.  _Whatever._

Chloe was still failing Russian lit and somehow hiding it from her best friend. Aubrey was excelling in every class and having conversations with her father that miraculously  **didn't** end in vomit--though they were still few and far between.

Everything was going well until Beca ran into their house blanched, sweaty, barely breathing, and wide eyed. "Guys?! You here?" she squeaked.

Chloe was the first into the living room, "Beca? Sweetie, come here, sit down. What's wrong?" Aubrey followed and immediately headed to get a bottle of water from the kitchen. "Hey, hey. It's okay. Breathe."

After a few gulps of water and some deep, shaky breaths, the brunette finally slumped into Chloe's side and let the tears roll. "I'm not coming back next semester."

Aubrey froze. Chloe's eyes filled and widened. "Wh-- you're choosing LA?"

Beca shook her head furiously. "Dad. He..." a hiccup that was almost a sob interrupted her; she sniffled before continuing, "was caught with a student. He's not allowed to teach here anymore. We don't..." another hiccup-sob, "have the money, and I'm not eligible for enough scholarships. I can't afford the debt of loans. So..."

Aubrey sat down, relaxing a little as she realized Beca would still choose them if she could. One of her hands found its way to the small of the tiny brunette's back. "The Trebles are able to offer scholarships... maybe now that we've won~."

Beca nodded. "Maybe. Not in time, though."

Chloe breathed deep and tried to look on the bright side. "At least you get to go to LA after all, right?"

Beca buried her face in Chloe's chest and mumbled, "I have to live with him and the stepmom or go back to Phoenix with my real mom. He's blacklisted. No one will hire him. They might have to sell their house."

Chloe blinked at her tears. "Well... you could take a couple classes here. Not enough for full time but... whatever scholarships covered. And you could stay at the Bella house whenever you needed. And then you could still be part of the group 'cause you'd technically be a student. And..."

"What's the point? I can't lead as a part time student. And I'll have to have a job on the side next year."

"I'll lead."

Aubrey stiffened again and directed a cool glance the redhead's way. "You're a senior, Chloe. You can't lead next year."

"I... may have failed Russian Lit."

Aubrey narrowed her eyes and glared at Beca for the first time in months.  _I can't believe she's choosing you, you bitch. "_ We were supposed to walk the stage together. Move to New York together."

"Bree... it's not like I did it on purpose. Who in their right mind would do a super senior year for--" Aubrey removed her hand from Beca's back and stood swiftly, effectively cutting Chloe off.

"You love Russian literature, Chloe. You quote Dostoyevsky and Tolstov in your sleep, for pitch sake." _At least she has the decency to blush._  " I can't believe you." Aubrey stormed out, leaving Chloe tearful.

"Chlo--" Beca began.  _This better not be for me_ . 

"Shh. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. And I'll be here for you," Chloe sounded so sure, so perfect, Beca was almost inclined to believe her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is probably gonna be comparatively short. It's a lot more difficult for me to write due to its transitional and feelsy nature. Apologies ahead of time. And I really appreciate the kudos. 21 of you--that's fantastic. I'd *really* be grateful for some comments.  
> P.S. Does anyone understand why quotations turn into & symbols? Fixing it every time is really annoying.


	5. Changes Incoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I'm probably an asshole for doing it like this, but I wanted to let you know that I'm reworking the first four chapters. I was trying to avoid it being too close to home and to similar to my experience... and ended up just kind of writing myself into a corner where the rest of the story couldn't be adapted without flashbacks.  
> Good news is this means these four chapters will probably turn into like... six or eight. Bad news is this means we won't get past this point in the story for a bit... just add to it.

I love any and all readers. Will edit this when I have fluffed the story. <3  
Sorry I'm an arse.


End file.
